Bookrack



Jan. 15, 1929. 1,699,176

A. E, ZAREMBA BOOKRACK Filed Se t, 19, 1.927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iNVENTORAdby/ if Zazremia,

ATTORNEY Jan. 15, 1929. 1,699,176

A. E. ZAREMBA BOOKRAGK Filed Sept. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORATTORNEY 040/2 ZZWZAL Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES ADOLPH E. ZAB EMBA, OF SOUTH PASADENA,

BOOKRACK;

Application filed September 19, 1927.

whether sitting or reclining, to the end that the manual holding of thebook will be obviated.

Another purpose of my invention is the provision of a rack of thischaracter by means of which the leaves of a book can be clamped tomaintain the book open, yet permitting the leaves to be readilyturnedwhen desired, the rack being adjustable to accommodate and sizes.

I will describe only one form of book rack embodying my invention andwill then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a View showing in perspective one form of book rack embodyingmy invention, supported from the head frame of a bed;

Fig. 2 is a View showing in front elevation and partly broken away, thebook rack illustrated in Fig. l

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 2;

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views taken respectively on the lines5-5 and 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a bracket embodied in the rack:and

F ig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the rackcan be supported on the floor to hold a book in reading position withrespect to a person seated in a chair.

Referring specifically to the drawing in which similar referencecharacters designate similar parts in each of the several views, myinvention in its present embodiment comprises a book holder H in thepresent instance consisting of a pair of horizontal members 10 and 11preferably formed of flat strip metal and which provide a shelf uponwhich the bottom edge of a book or magazine is firmly support books ofdifferent Serial No. 220,425.

adapted to rest. The members are provided Wltll longitudinally extendingslots 12 through which a headed pin 13. extends so. as to extensiblyconnect themembers, The pin 13 also extends through the horizontalportion, of an L shaped bracket 15, and othe Pil s 16 extend throu h thehorizontal portions of other L shaped brackets 17 so as to. slidablyconnectthe brackets to the members, there being one of the brackets 17for each of the] members, all of which'is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and3. To the vertical portions of the brackets 15 and 17 arepivotallyconnected at their lower ends certain of a plurality of crossed andpivoted links 18 which together constitute a back rest for the book ormagazine reposing on the members. The links are adapted to be collapsedor extended to accommodate books of different sizes so that both thelinks and members are adjustable to increase or decrease their overalllengths.

The horizontal portions of the brackets 17 overlie their respectivemembers 10 and 11 and are provided with upstanding flanges 19 forpreventing endwise displacement of the book resting on the members,while at the pivotal connection between the end nost links 18 arepivotally mounted, arms 20, see 5 and 6, which carry clamps C. Each ofthe clamps comprises a plate 21 secured to the free end of an arm 20 andhaving a threaded opening receiving a clamp screw 22 extending through aclamping plate 23, by means of which the side edges of a book areadapted to be clamped against the plate 21 so as to retain the book inopen position for reading. The plate 23 is provided with pins 24 whichextend through openings 25 formed in the plate 21 so that rotation ofthe plate 23 about the clamping screw 22 will be prevented.

The book holder H above described is adapted to be supported in aposition to permit reading of a book carried thereby, by an occupant ofa bed Whether sitting or reclining, and tothis end I provide anadjustable supporting bracket B which in the present instance comprisesa disk shaped head 26 having a U-shaped hanger 27 adapted to be hookedover a horizontal rail 28 of the head frame F of a bed, the hanger beingadjustably connected tothe head b a screw 30, and the'head having a pairof at radial extensions 31 adapted to bear against the vertical rails 32of the head frame. Secured to the head 26 and projectin from one sidethereof to occupy a horizonta position is an arm 33 in the form of a rodwhich extends through an opening formed in a block 34 and to whlch theblock is adapted to be clamped in any ad justed position along thelength of the rod, by means of a clamping screw 35. A second andvertically extending arm 36 also in the form of a rod having itsexterior surface roughened or serrated as indicated zit-.37, e tendsthrough a second opening formed .111 the block 34 and is adapted to beclamped in any longitudinally adjusted position by means of a clampingscrew 38.

The lower end of the arm 36 is pivotally connected to the book support Sat the pivoted connection 39 between the two center links of the seriesof links 18 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the support can beadjusted bodily about the pivotal connection 39 to occupy horizontal orinclined positions, while to clamp the support S in any position towhich it is adjusted a brace bar is pivotally connected at 41 to thelinks 18 and is slotted longitudinally to receive a clampmg screw 42threaded into the arm 36.

It will be clear that with the supporting bracket B hung from the rail28 of the bed, the weight of the bracket and that of the book holder Hwill tend to rock the hanger 27 about the rail so as to cause theextensions 31 to be forced into firm engagement with the vertical rails32, so that the book holder H is firmly held in an elevated position.The adjustable mounting of the arms 33 and 36 in the block 34 permitsthe book holder to be raised or lowered or moved towards or away fromthe eyes of the occupant of the bed, while the pivotal mounting of theholder on the arm 36 permits adjustment of the holder to a horizontal orinclined position, to the end that a book carried by the holder can bepositioned at the place and angle most convenient for reading by theoccupant of the bed.

To illuminate the pages of an open book carried by the holder, the baseof a lamp a3 is secured to the arm 36 so as to support the lamp abovethe book and a flexible conductor .44 eXtends'from-the lamp and isadapted to be connected to a suitable source of current supply.

. In Fig. 9 I have illustrated, the manner in which my book rack can besupported on the floor, and in this instance the head 26 provides a flatbase resting on the floor while the arm constitutes an uprightstandard;the block 34 being dispensed with and the arm 36 being pivotallyconnected to the arm 33 by means of a headed stud extending through anopening in the arm 36 and then threaded into an opening provided in thearm 33. The pivotal connection between the arms 33 and 36 permitsadjustment of the latter to occupy various inclined positions withrespect to a perpendicular and to clamp the arm 36 in adjusted positionan arcuate shaped brace L6 is pivoted at l? to the arm 33 and is slottedlongitudinally to receive a clamping screw 48 threaded into the arm 36.A suitable weight a9 is rested upon the head :26 so as to preventtipping over of the arm 33 under the weight oi? the book holder ll.

Although I in u: herein shown and dei-scribed only one term of book rackembodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes andmodifications may he made therein without departing from the spirit of.the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A book rack comprising a book support including a pair of extensiblyconnected members co-operating to form a shelf upon which a book isadapted to rest in an upright position, a plurality of crossed andpivoted links connected to the members and adapted to form a back restfor the book, means carried by the links for clamping the side edges ofthe book to hold the latter in open position on the support, and meansby which the book support is adapted to be supported in an ele vatedposition from a rail of a bed.

2. A book rack as embodied in claim 3 wherein said means comprises ahead having a hooked member adapted to be hooked over the rail of a bed,said head provided with extensions adapted to rest against other railsof the bed, an arm projecting from the head, a second arm connected tothe links, a block connecting the arms in angular relation andadjustable along the length of the arms, and means for clamping the armsto the block in any position of adjustment of the latter.

3. A book rack comprising a book holder including a pair of extensiblyconnected members co-operating to form a shelf upon which a book isadapted to rest in an upright position, a plurality of crossed andpivoted links adapted to constitute aback rest for the book, a pluralityof L shaped brackets connected to certain of the links and slidablyconnected to the members for movement lengthwise ot the latter, certainof said brackets having upstandingflanges adapted to retain a bookagainst displacement longitudinally of the members, clamps carried bythe links for clamping a book to the holder in open position, and asupporting bracket for the holder. comprising a vertical arm pivotallyconnected to the book holder. a brace bar pivotally connected to theholder and having; a slot, a clamp screw extending through said slot andinto the arm for clampingthe bar to the arm, a block throughwhich saidarm extends, a screw tor clamping the block to the arm. a second armextending through theblock in angular relation to the first arm, asecond clamping screw tor clamping the block to the second arm, and ahead on one end of the second arm having a hooked member by means ofwhich the supporting lid izu

IIlGl'llbQ-FS co-operziting to form a shelf upon which a book is adaptedto rest in an upright position, a plurality of crossed and pivoted linksconnected to the members and adapted to form a back rest for the book,and means by which the book holder is adapted to be supported in aposition for reading of a book carried thereby.

ADOLPH E. ZAREMBA.

